The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for managing networks of duplicating machines. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for reading data from a plurality of electronic reprographic machines for centralized storage and manipulation of that data.
It is becoming more and more common for businesses of even moderate size to employ several duplicating machines. As the number of duplicating machines at a particular business increases, the cost and effort associated with gathering information, such as billing data, and keeping users apprised of the current status of the various machines, i.e, which machines are available and capable of performing a given task, also increases.
Known methods for gathering, storing and manipulating data from a plurality of duplicating machines have been limited in the number of categories of data which they are capable of monitoring. Prior systems, therefore, tended to either inform a user of the current status of particular machines or keep track of billing data.
The information available from prior systems concerning the current status of the machines was usually limited to a few basic inquiries, such as is the machine in use, is the machine out of paper, is the machine out of service. To get more than this basic information, a user must go to the machine. In large offices, and when large numbers of originals need to be carted about, this is extremely inefficient.
Prior systems for monitoring billing information, such as Equitrac, have included separate interfaces into which the user inputs information such as an account number. These devices are hardwired into the duplicating machines and simply count the number of copies made for the particular account. Each of these devices is then linked to a central processing unit, usually a personal computer, where the data is compiled. However, these systems require a separate interface. In addition, these systems monitor only pulses from the duplicating machines indicative of the number of sheets delivered. Billing is based on this number alone and, therefore, different billing rates cannot be applied to the various types of copying jobs performed by the individual machines.
Many duplicating and facsimile machines include a two-way data port, which is commonly an RS232 type port. These systems, as more fully set out in U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,676 to Ejiri et al., utilize this port to allow remote diagnostic monitoring of duplicating machines. Through this system duplicating and facsimile machines may be connected to a remote monitoring station over telephone lines via the RS232 port. Various phenomena indicative of the state of the duplicating or facsimile machine are monitored by this system in order to alert the users to potential and actual service needs of the machines.
These RS232 ports may be linked to all of the data sources within the duplicating machines, including the various auditrons, memory locations for monitoring billing data, by modifying the internal computer software of the individual machines. Standard duplicating machines have 5 to 7 of these auditrons, each monitoring a different type of duplicating operation, such as two sided copying, enlargement, or reduction of documents.
There is thus a need for a system which is capable of monitoring various billing and other usage data from a plurality of duplicating machines via existing data ports and communicating this data via a single telephone line to a remote monitoring station and which is also capable of giving a user information on the current status of the individual machines on an increased number of topics.
The number of duplicates of documents now required by businesses of all size has made keeping the cost of reproduction services down a top priority. Systems such as Equitrac require hardware which must be added to the duplicating machines. In addition, as duplicating systems have become increasingly complex, the cost of making hardware modifications to these systems has also increased.
Thus there is a need for a system which is capable of monitoring an increased number of data fields from a plurality of duplicating machines without requiring extensive modifications to those machines.
An apparatus for gathering and storing data and for informing users of the current status of individual electrostatic copying machines was disclosed in U.S Pat. No. 4,167,322, to Yano et al. The apparatus disclosed in Yano et al. purported to allow a user to obtain information from any of six (6) categories including individual machine status and billing data. However, the apparatus of Yano et al. required that the data be processed in a microprocessor within one of the electrostatic copying machines. This apparatus also made use of this electrostatic copying machine as a printer for the system. In the system of Yano et al., reproduction activity must be interrupted on that machine any time the gathered data is printed and the manipulation of the data gathered is limited by the capabilities of the particular electrostatic machine employed as the data processor. In addition, this apparatus requires the purchase of at least one new electrostatic copying machine having the required microprocessor and printing capabilities.
There is thus a need for a system which is capable of processing and printing data gathered from a plurality of duplicating machines without interrupting the operation of any of the machines and which does not require the purchase of a specially manufactured duplicating machine.